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Corn Benefits
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Corn benefits are numerous. It is a nutritional source of carbohydrates that provide energy.
 Corn is one of the most ancient food crops in the world and also still among its staple foods in the modern era. Corn refers to the plant officially known as zea mays and more commonly known as maize, whose leafy stalk produces "ears", each of which is covered in rows of seeds called kernels. The typical ear of corn is said to possess about 800 kernels, which are arranged in 16 rows.
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These corn kernels can technically be considered as fruits but are more commonly used in cooking as a vegetable or starch. These kernels are usually eaten from the cob. They are also ground to form the grains that serve as basis for corn meals, grits and the like. These are used to make such food items as corn chips and tortillas.
Other ways to consume corn include:
- adding it to salad;
- sautéing it and using it as side dish; and
- adding it to soup
Corn is a major source of starch. The flour from corn, called corn starch, is a major ingredient in home cooking and in many other food products. It is likewise a major source of cooking oil and various other glutinous items.
Each of the ears is protected by golden silk-like threads called cornsilk and are covered in a husk. The cornsilk is a source of many nutritional compounds and many people usually extract these through the process of steaming. There is a resultant cornsilk tea that may be helpful in detoxification and in fighting such ailments as urinary tract infection.
Corn is believed to have originated in central Mexico where its inhabitants are said to have developed the crop from a type of wild grass. The propagation of corn eventually spread to the southwestern United States in the north and to areas of Peru in the south. The explorer Christopher Columbus acquired corn from Indians in America and returned to Spain with the crop. It then spread to Western Europe and, in time, to the rest of the world.
The following are the health food nutrients that contribute to many corn benefits:
In addition to these nutrients, different varieties of corn possess antioxidant compounds. The yellow corn variety, for example, is abundant in carotenoids (i.e. lutein and zeaxanthin) while the blue variety has anthocyanins. The purple variety for its part has protocatechuic acid.
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The following are believed to be the most important corn benefits to health:
Corn may help provide energy and may help strengthen stamina due to its being a carbohydrate source. Corn is said to help facilitate good digestion due to its abundant fiber content. Corn may help control sudden spikes in blood sugar levels. Corn may help lower the risk for certain forms of cancer (like those involving the colon, kidney and prostate) due to its beta-carotene and other antioxidant content. Corn may help lower the risk for high blood pressure. |
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Resources:
Check out these Interesting Books on Corn Benefits:
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